Gunsmoke in the Moonlight
by Fiona X. Fyre
Summary: SMTrigun xover. Before she can take her place on her throne, Usagi must reunite that what was lost thousands of years before: Her twin brothers. But will the now pregnant senshi and 4 of her comrades be able to find them in this wasteland called Gunsmoke?
1. Triple Threat

Author's Note:  
  
Ok, Sadly, I do not own Sailor Moon ( I'd be stinkin' rich if I did) nor do I own Trigun (too bad too, I would have had some fun with those hotties Knives, Vash and Wolfwood wince and run away from her evil laughter) Anyway, this is my crossover however and I would like it if no one stole my idea, well, at least word for word. I figure someone out there had to think up this story as well. Great minds think alike you know Glares and throws stuff at the laughing audience By the way, this story takes place after the end of SM and right before "Paradise" ep. 22 of Trigun.  
  
Blah blah blah Thoughts  
blah blah blah Actions or sounds  
"Blah blah blah" Speaking  
Scene changes  
Time or dimension changes  
  
Gunsmoke in the Moonlight  
  
Chapter 1: Triple Threat  
  
"There once was a Prophecy so ancient that few remember how it goes, in fact, I myself know very little of it. But it was prophesied that there would be three warriors born to the line of the Celestial Moon Family. They would be born on an obscure satellite, of the planet Terran. They were to be Artemis of the Full Moon, Protector of Life; Serenity of the Crescent Moon, Bringer of Peace; and Osiris of the New Moon, Vanquisher of Evil. Together they were to ensure the flourishing of the moon kingdom and the future of the very galaxy..."  
  
" so... yawn... what's the point" Usagi murmured, stretching sleepily. "This is a sleepover, can't we SLEEP??"  
  
"Shove it, Ordango. She is TRYING to make a point" Rei growled, throwing a pillow at Usagi's head, " Don't you get what she is saying?"  
  
"nn..nooo" Usagi yawned and scratched herself through her pale pink pajamas. "Not at all..."  
  
" I agree with Usa-chan, all these fairy tales are making me sleepy" Minako moaned, stretching suddenly and knocking Artemis from his perch on her shoulder into her lap. "You better make with the point Luna, or I am going to be calling hogs any minute now"  
  
"Yes, and I want to know more about this Artemis fellow, is he as handsome as his namesake?" Artemis muffled voice called from the recesses of Minako's yellow flowered nightie.  
  
Luna rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat. She stared down from the edge of Usagi's bed at the five girls now throwing pillows at each other How in the WORLD did I get stuck with a bunch of squabbling little misfits?! Why couldn't I have a team that acts more like the outers?!? Straightening herself to her full height, she stared down at them in contempt "IF YOU WOULD GATHER YOURSELVES TOGETHER GIRL'S I WISH TO FINISH!!!!!!"  
  
The girls sat speechless, pillows in mid throw and stared up at her nervously.  
  
Luna sighed, Finally, they shut upshe settled down against the soft flannel of Usagi's blanket and curled her paws under her sleek underbelly. "Now Usagi, your ascent to the Throne is drawing near, and as prophecy states, there must be the Three present to ensure your kingdom's survival... This means you must go on one last mission be...."  
  
"WHAT!?!?!" Usagi cried sitting up, her baby blue eyes wide, "Christ! Isn't rebuilding this world numerous times and saving too many humans to count GOOD ENOUGH?!?!" Usagi moaned and buried her head in her pillow. "WHAT is WITH these people!?!?!"  
  
"Look, I'll make this as simple as possible. The lineage of the moon was to be established fully by the birth of the Three in the prophecy, one of which was YOU Usagi. She was to have one girl and two boys..."  
  
"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!!" Minako cried, throwing up her hands, "You mean Usa- chan has Brothers?"  
  
"Well, DUH, Mina-Chan" Makoto laughed at the confused look on Minako's face. Turning to Usagi, she smiled slyly "I wonder if they are cute."  
  
"Of course they are" Usagi sniffed, flipping her long golden locks over her shoulder in contempt, "After all, they are MY brothers."  
  
"Pshaw." Rei made a raspberry with her lips and blew a wet one in Usagi's direction, "If they are like you, then we are doomed"  
  
"I BEG your Pardon!" Usagi said haughtily, faking as if she was faint at the mere idea " Luna says I have matured quite a bit these last two years". She paused briefly in her drama queen pose and then she broke her grown up face to pull at her lid and stick out her tongue at Rei " So....Nyaaahhh"  
  
" I rest my case" Rei's sneered and blew another raspberry at Usagi.  
  
Usagi lunged at Rei and Luna sweat dropped as the two started squabbling, pulling at each other's hair and nightgowns. Makoto and Minako joined in. Poor Artemis choked as he was crushed between their bodies.  
  
"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Ami shrieked shrilly, her face flaming.  
  
The four roughhousing senshi and one unfortunate cat stopped and stared at the blue haired senshi in shock. Ami shook herself back to her previous composure and turned to Luna. "Now, Luna, you told us that the line of the Moon cannot bear more then one child per descendant, and that that child would always be female. What you are telling us is completely against all you taught us."  
  
Luna sighed, "There's more to it then that. But I can't properly explain it.... I guess I'll have to show you." She pounced sleekly from Usagi's bed to the middle of the floor between the girls. "Now gather round girls, and take each other's hands."  
  
The girls forgot their earlier scrap and held hands, staring at Luna expectantly. She took a deep breath, her dark fur glowing a soft yellow at the tips. " Now close your eyes and prepare for impact..."  
  
"Impa..." Usagi started but her words were torn from her lips when the darkness under her lids exploded into a vast array of brilliant colors. The colors swirled chaotically until they begin to form lines, then obscure shapes. Before the girls could discern the shapes, the image came into focus with a blinding flash. They suddenly found themselves in a shadowy room that seemed to resemble the lab room at Usagi's school.  
  
The shadows covering a majority of the lab equipment didn't even touch the glass casket glowing faintly in the middle of the room. It's golden rays danced on the faces of the two women standing around it. One, obviously very pregnant under the silk belly of her floor length gown, stared silently at the contents of the glowing orb, her delicate white hand pressing against it.  
  
"What are they?" The other woman, a formidable giant of a woman next to her smaller comrade, questioned cooly.  
  
"They're babies of course!" The other exclaimed crossly, tapping the glass impatiently as if to point out the two fetuses floating inside.  
  
"I understand that." the other woman growled, narrowing her red eyes " I mean, what did you create them for, your already pregnant, your majesty..."  
  
Selenity laid her head against the glass, tracing the outline of her son's faces forlornly "B..because someone needs to protect my precious Serenity, Setsuna. They will protect her... and play with her.... their birth will ensure the success of the line of the moon."  
  
The Goddess of Time stared at the two babies dubiously. The 7 ghostly figures in the background deduced by the look on her face that she wasn't so sure of the queens conviction.  
  
"What happens now Luna?" Ami whispered to the cat on her shoulder as the two women left the room.  
  
"No need to whisper Ami, they can't hear us. It is just my memories." Luna smiled at her nervous host " I will have to speed it up a little, a couple more months."  
  
The Senshi gasped as the scene blurred into a mass of colored shapes, then morphed into twisted lines until they once again mutilated themselves into swirling colors. The scene paused and went into reverse and again the senshi found themselves at the dark laboratory.  
  
"W..What's happening? Something is terribly wrong here" Rei gasped, as the room seemed to shake with loud explosions around them. Even thought the girls couldn't feel the reverberating crashes, they couldn't help the screams that tore from their lips.  
  
"LOOK!" Usagi cried against the noise.  
  
In the midst of falling debris, several white clad women were pulling the queen from the room. She struggled fiercely, holding her stomach and sobbing heavily.  
  
"NOOOO... Please! I can't leave my sons!!!" She screamed, tearing herself free from the maids grasping fingers and stumbled to the golden globe holding her two boys. Heaving sobs overtook her as she held onto the container as the ground shook. The floor split between the frightened maids and their crying queen, rendering them helpless.  
  
Suddenly, a silhouette shrouded in shadows stepped forth. As the shadows melted off of her, Setsuna's elegant figure stepped forth. Snapping her fingers at the maids, she ordered them silently to be quiet, which they immediately did. Turning to her queen, she easily jumped over the widening crack and stood over the now whimpering figure below her. Seething anger was more then evident on her normally emotionless face.  
  
Without a word, she grabbed the back of Selenity's dress and yanked her up unceremoniously. Selenity let out a scream and turned to beat on Setsuna's chest. Setsuna's grip only grew tighter and her face more intent with each blow. "You are going to destroy all of us Selenity, you must let them go. They aren't even your own children."  
  
"NO YOUR WRONG!" Selenity cried, her face blazing, "They are made of MY blood and MY genes! They are MY SONS!!!"  
  
Setsuna suddenly pulled Selenity into a sleeper hold and covered her mouth. "Shh.... someone is coming.... I have to get you out of here..." Pulling Selenity tighter into the sleeper hold, she caused her to go limp. With the glowing end of her time staff, she split the air and pulled herself and the queen into the glowing portal. The portal sealed itself just as the group of masked and suited humans broke through the doors. They weren't armed, but Usagi felt herself shiver just looking at them, something was going to happen.  
  
A tall man in the group started towards the glowing orb holding the twins. The light lit up his hard lined face as he stared at the two boys. " What the hell....?'  
  
"It's... babies... on the...Moon." A woman's voice, a kind and gentle voice that could only belong to a kind and gentle person pierced the darkness. The figure walked forth and stood in front of the glass. Slowly she pressed the palms of her hands against the glass in absolute amazement.  
  
"They seem to be giving off weird energy signals, Rem." Another woman called, holding an odd piece of machinery in front of the glass. "the same signal of that one woman they say disappeared 10 years ago, the one they made the plants from."  
  
"They're monsters, that's what" Another tall man, this one more burly then the previous one. He pulled a squarish looking gun from a holster on his side and aimed it at the globe, prepared to destroy them. "I say we wipe them out, before they cause any more damage."  
  
"oh my god." Usagi whispered, tears coming to her eyes.  
  
"NO! You can't! I won't let you harm innocent infants!" The woman called Rem cried, throwing herself in front of the man's aim. " No one has the right to decide who lives or dies, Steve, not us, not anyone else. They deserve a future."  
  
Steve glared at her, but lowered his gun reluctantly. The first man slowly took the gun from Steve's hand. He let it go, but never took his hateful glare off the two fetuses floating in the orb.  
  
"Rem is right, they deserve to have a chance. Besides, if Mary is right and they have the same energy as the plants, they might be helpful to us. Load them on the ship Rowen, Steve." He ordered, nodding at Steve and another much thinner man in the shadows. As Steve passed him, the older man grabbed his broad shoulder firmly " Be careful Steve, don't turn this into a revenge spree. What happened to Amelia can't be helped by harming innocent children."  
  
Steve didn't shift his gaze from ahead of him and just nodded at the man's warning. Joining his comrade, he, Rowen and the other man hefted the machine up and struggled out the door. The woman Mary headed out after them. Rem stayed where she was standing, narrowing her eyes as she tried to see what was in the darkness. She had a sneaking suspicion something was there, but she couldn't discern anything through the shadows.  
  
Usagi felt a huge lump well up in her throat as she fought back heated tears that refused to stop. Rem and her eyes met, although Rem couldn't see Usagi, Usa felt a strange sensation fall over her, as if she could trust this woman to watch out for her brothers. She managed to smile and wipe away her tears with the back of her pajama sleeve.  
  
"Rem... We need to go.. This building is unstable..." Mary murmured, placing her hand on Rem's shoulder. "Are you OK?"  
  
"Uh... Yes... Let's go" Rem whispered, turning slowly and hurried out the doorway they made earlier. Mary started after her, but looked over her shoulder nervously. Since she didn't see anything in the shadows, she shrugged as if to shake the eerie feeling off her, and hurried after Rem.  
  
The Senshi stood in the darkness in silence, only their slow deliberate breaths could break the monotonous air.  
  
"Well" Luna said suddenly, her voice causing the girls to jump to attention, "That's about it." Immediately, The Laboratory disappeared, and the girls found themselves back in Usagi's room, blinking against the sudden light.  
  
"Wha...What was THAT?" Minako whispered.  
  
"I can't believe...." Rei murmured.  
  
"... They..Just.... took them" Makoto muttered.  
  
They stared at Usagi as she sobbed silently into her already tear soaked pillow. She sniffed and looked up at Luna with puffy red eyes. "So... explain... what... what was that?" She gasped between alternating sobs and hiccups.  
  
Luna sighed, she knew how hard this was going to be on Usagi, but she expected a tantrum and heaving sobs from her young charge, not such a display of maturity. Taking a deep breath she started to say the only thing she knew about the situation. " You see, when your mother came to Terran, or Earth as it was known by it's inhabitants, it was in horrible shape. The humans had raped it of all it's energy sources and were basically living on borrowed time. She tried to show them mercy by healing their wounded and helping replenish their planet. But their hearts were hard and they attacked her, and used her for horrible experiments that left her very weak. They used them to create life giving machines called Plant's. But Selenity escaped before they could fully install them into the Earth. She came to the moon and set up abode there. She knew of the prophecy and wanted to assure that her daughter was to be safe from the human's treachery. So she used a similar test they had run on her and created the twins. But Earth became so bad that they decided to move to another planet in the Sol System, so they build massive ships and moved thousands off the dying planet. Only a few chose to stay on Earth. After they found and stole her boys, Selenity had no will to forfill her prophecy, only a baby daughter, a talking cat and the Goddess of Time. Setsuna convinced her that she wasn't the one the prophecy told of, and that she must go on. Selenity used her power to heal the Earth and erase the memories of its remaining inhabitants, convincing them that she was their goddess. It would have worked, except that Mettalica made her presence known. Since Serenity had no sons to protect her daughter, she created the Sailor Senshi to take their place. And the rest you know...."  
  
The senshi sat in silent amazement, their faces playing different emotions. Rei's in disbelief, Minako's and Makoto's in confusion, Ami's in silent contemplation and Usagi's in unspoken agony. Luna felt tears coming to her own eyes and buried her face into her silken black paw.  
  
The silence lasted for what seemed like an eternity when suddenly Usagi's voice shattered the dread in the air. Her voice shook with unshed tears, but was more determined and strong then they had ever heard come from her lips before. "I think.... I.. think..." She started, then paused as if to catch her composure.  
  
"Well spit it out" Rei managed, receiving several dirty looks from the others in the room.  
  
"I think we should go after them..." Usagi said finally after several angstful minutes. She seemed to have a wash of courage because she stood up taller and set her jaw firmly "In fact, I am SURE we must, FOR THE FUTURE!"  
  
The others looked around and slowly stood up, unsure smiles on their pale faces. Raising their arms in a glassless cheers they joined in, "FOR THE FUTURE!"  
  
Coming soon, Chapter 2: It's Raining Angels. The Senshi face a perilous journey to the past on a distant planet, where a horrible accident causes some interesting problems in their quest.  
  
I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter to my newest story. Please RR....  
  
The Crimson Acolyte 


	2. It's Raining Angels

Gunsmoke in the Moonlight  
  
Chapter 2: It's Raining Angels  
  
"For the Future" Usagi whispered to herself as she struggled to stand up from her perch on the bathroom floor. Without looking the the contents, she flushed the toilet and stumbled to the sink to wash the taste from her lips. Those words seemed so optimistic and so easy at the time, but now, she wasn't so sure she could do it. Not in the condition she was in.  
  
"It's about time,or did it take longer because you eat to damn much" Rei's voice grated on Usagi's last nerve as she weakly stumbled from the bathroom. Turning to the girl she had called a friend for so long, Usagi regarded her with a look that would have ignited the room had she the strength.  
  
"Shut the fuck up Rei." Was all she said. But the five words were spoken with such force that Rei was taken aback, her eyes widening in hurt.  
  
"Usa-Chan!" Ami gasped her pale hand flying to her lips, "Such harshness, Rei didn't mean it!"  
  
"Leave her alone Ami" Makoto retorted, jumping up to help her weaker comrade to the bed, "She can't help it that she is pregnant already, we need to be more understanding right now." Her last words were emphasized by a flash in her forest green eyes that made Rei visibly wince.  
  
Rei clenched her fists and stood up. "I for one... am... am going outside." With that she spun so her long raven locks whipped behind her. Her eyes met Usagi's briefly, and Usagi saw a raw pain that Rei was unable to mask in them.  
  
"Rei-Chan!" Ami called, starting after her. But she was stopped by Usagi, who's grip on her shoulder belied her current state.  
  
"Call me when your serious about this" Rei's voice was heard faintly from the balcony, her emotions barely hidden in the shaky words.  
  
Usagi shook her head at Ami and managed to stand up. Makoto and Minako rushed to her side as she started to stumble.  
  
"Usa-chan, you mustn't do this. You are too weak. Let Rei-chan calm down and we can all sit down to a nice cup of tea." Mako murmured, trying to force her friend back into her previous perch. But Usagi brushed her aside with relative ease.  
  
" No. Something has to be said and done between us now, or there is no hope for this mission. Or our future." She said, staring briefly at her comrades as she followed Rei's path outside.  
  
"Sometimes, I can see why she will become such a wise queen." The faintly masculine voice from the door startled the 3 remaining girls as they turned sharply towards it.  
  
"Ah... it's just you four." Mina sighed in relief at the site of the four outers standing in Usagi's doorway.  
  
"Any news from Mamo-chan, Setsuna-sama?" Ami inquired of the tall green haired woman standing farthest in the shadows.  
  
"He is doing well in America and wishes his wife and her comrades safety on their mission." she retorted emotionlessly. But it was plain to the girls that she was not pleased at all that he would not be attending his pregnant wife on such a perilous mission.  
  
"Coward" Haruka muttered under her breath, receiving a sharp jab in the ribs from Michiru's well-aimed elbow. Coughing to cover her harsh words, she looked outside at the faint outlines of Usagi and Rei, who were talking seemingly peacefully on the moonlit balcony. "I wonder what they are talking about?"  
  
Outside  
  
" I know you didn't mean it Rei-chan. It's just so.. so... hard right now for me to remain optimistic and brave. Everything is happening so fast and I am scared." Usagi murmured, staring down at her slim fingers she was clenching and unclenching constantly. "I just wish Mamo-chan was here to..."  
  
"Oh will you just shut up!?!" Rei growled, breaking her long train of silence, to glare at her friend, " You are destined to be a great leader and wise queen Usagi, don't always go around depending on people. Why do you think I am so hard on you? Do you think it's fun for me?"  
  
Usagi just looked away at Rei's last question, unsure if she should answer. Rei grabbed her shoulders and forced Usagi's heavy blue eyes to meet her own frightened purple ones. " Usagi, I do it because I want you to be strong and learn to only depend on yourself. One day we won't be here to protect you, and I can't stand to see you fail because of that..."  
  
With that she let her arms drop weakly to her sides and she stared out at the sky again complacently. Usagi looked at her in silence, playing her words around in her head. Rei-chan looks so sad, and scared. What does she mean they won't be here to protect me one day? They will always be here!  
  
Biting her lip, Usagi turned to the night sky and stared out at it like Rei was. She could only see the stars twinkling above, but she struggled until her eyes blurred with tears to see the future that Rei must be seeing in them. Finally, with her voice laced with heartfelt sorrow, Usagi turned to Rei. "Rei, I know you are scared, although I don't know why. Maybe you know something I do not. And maybe I do not want to know. But I do know that I am destined to rule and that I will fight for that destiny with all I have, whether my team can stand beside me or not. We both see the future in the stars, you maybe see one I cannot, but I see my kingdom up there, waiting with open arms to accept me. I will live and I will rule. It is my destiny."  
  
Rei turned to her and smiled softly at her friends words. The starlight rimmed Usagi's fair features with a pale light that made her appear years older and wiser then she was. Rei could see that she would someday be a strong ruler. But her nightmares of late haunted her thoughts and she frowned saying, "But destiny's can change Usagi, you know that as well as I."  
  
Usagi laughed slightly and turned to her friend, resting her hands on her shoulders, smiling that bright smile that always seemed to light up her features, "True... true... even though every ones future is a blank ticket, I will do everything I can to make sure I get on the right train. And as long as you fight beside me, I will make sure to succeed, for me, for you, for the future of the child within me. I cannot... no... I WILL not fail."  
  
Rei again smiled wider at Usagi's optimistic words. Finally she was becoming the woman that they heard about. Rei felt the burden lift from her shoulders as she fell into her friends embrace. As they hugged, Rei laughed through her tears at the nagging thoughts in the back of her mind They were just dreams. Nothing more. Usagi is right. We cannot fail. We will not.  
  
Several Hours later  
  
Luna stared around her at three of the senshi she had come to know so well these past several years. Never had she seen so much emotion in their faces before a mission. But then, this was to be the hardest mission of them all. An unknown place, in search of two unknown people, not to mention the perilous journey that the pregnant princess had to endure. She even begin to doubt their ability to succeed.  
  
She shook her head as if to rid those thoughts and turned to Haruka, who she suddenly recalled had been talking to her. She sighed "I am sorry Haruka-san, please repeat your thought."  
  
"I SAID that I don't see why you are allowing Hotaru, who is still showing signs of Mistress Nine within her, to go, but not Michiru and I to protect her and our princess?!?!" Haruka shouted, slamming her fist on the coffee table to add emphasis to her words. Even in their state of shock, the other two senshi jumped at the sudden outburst.  
  
Luna frowned deeply as she begin to once again explain the plan with the enraged senshi before her. "I will tell you this once again Haruka, but after that, you must trust my judgement, for I will hear no more arguments about it!."  
  
She waited until her words made themselves clear to Haruka before continuing. Satisfied by the quickly calming look on the girls face, she continued " I have decided that you, Neptune, Jupiter and Mars will remain here in the Present time to ensure that no one attacks our kingdom while the princess is gone. I chose The other four based on their abilities helpfulness to the cause. Ami can correctly deduce the surroundings and help the senshi find their way, Minako is in charge of protecting the princess, and Setsuna is there to transport them to their destination and to watch over them throughout the mission. As for Hotaru, I understand that she is still having some flare ups from her previous possession, but her healing and defensive powers are too strong of an advantage to leave behind. I understand your concern for your daughter, but I do believe that I have more experience when it comes to these matters. Do we have an understanding.?"  
  
Haruka dropped her head in compliance and sighed, all the fight and energy that usually characterized her escaped with one long breath. "Yes. Luna- sama, we do."  
  
"Good. Please inform the others that they must say good byes before we leave. We will be departing soon." Luna stated, waving the two senshi off to the other room where the other girls were waiting rather impatiently. She turned to Setsuna who was about to leave the room as well "No, Setsuna, I wish to speak to you."  
  
Setsuna simply nodded and stood aside so her two comrades could go to the other room with their sad news. She shut the door behind them and drew the curtains. Turning to Luna she smiled a soft smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes?"  
  
"Is everything ready at the Gates of Time for their departure?" Luna asked, pausing between licks of her satin black fur to look up at her old friend.  
  
"Yes they are. Everything seems stable. We just need to make sure Usagi has a strong link on her brothers since we don't know where they are headed enough to visualize it." She reported in a weary voice that made it clear she had given her words much thought and more rehearsal then necessary. Luna nodded and turned towards the door, where the senshi could be seen hugging tearfully. Setsuna bite her lip tp keep silent, but then thought better of it and turned to Luna. "Luna, do you really think it is safe to send Hotaru to another world. You know as well as I that her 'Flare-ups' as we call them, are more serious then you make out."  
  
"Yes. I am quite aware of that Setsuna. And I have considered the possibilities. But I deem this the best course of action in our present state." Luna said thoughtfully, not turning to look at Setsuna, but continuing to eye the senshi hugging through the doorway.  
  
"An what if 'She' should surface again? Usagi is not strong enough now to save the world if she should." Setsuna said, her voice unsure. She couldn't help the feeling of anguish rising inside of her with each thought of what could happen on this foreign planet.  
  
" Better there, then here." was all Luna said before she walked out of the study back into Usagi's room, greeting the girls with a smile that fooled even the most discerning eye. Setsuna stayed behind, her face dark with masked emotion.  
  
She's right. Better there then here.  
  
Two hours later in the Juuben Public Park.  
  
" Is everyone accounted for and ready?" Luna inquired, Staring each of the five senshi before her in the face. They were arranged in a circle, fully dressed and silent. Ami looked pensive, her face tight will nervousness. Both Hotaru and Setsuna stared straight ahead with apathetically blank looks, one with a determined tightness to her tanned face, the other simply emotionless. Minako was openly worried, her hands wringing frantically as she stared blindly into space, horrible thoughts running through her head. Usagi merely looked sick, her pale shaking hand clutching her belly, which was already showing signs of her pregnancy under the stretched white silk of her fuku. Luna sighed, this wasn't going to be a pleasant trip for any of them. I hate to do it, but it has to be done. There is no other way She thought morosely as she took another deep breath to order them to begin the transport.  
  
"o..OK girls" She said, her voice cracking against her will, "Transport..." The girls took each others hands as they begin to glow their respective auras. Luna blinked against the rainbow of hues, barely manging to hear the words that came from her own mouth, "NOW!"  
  
And with a blinding flash, they were gone. Luna stood alone in the shadowy park, staring at the spot her princess and her friends once stood. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she did not attempt to wipe them away. Do your best Usagi. God speed to you all. For you will need it... She screamed at them in her thoughts, but she whispered to the sky with a paw half heartedly raised in tribute,  
  
" For the Future."  
  
Somewhere on the planet Gunsmoke  
  
Somewhere deep in a arid brown valley, there was a patch of green that seemed unreal and out of place for such a dry and desolate place. Dead center in the middle of the oasis, calmly sleeping, his face deep in the rich aroma of the grass, a man laid in a fetal position. His pale blond head rested peacefully on his arm, and by all appearances, he was dreaming.  
  
Suddenly, his body twisted rigidly and his face took a look of udder pain. It was evident his peaceful dream turned bad, into a frightening nightmare. He let out a strangled scream, his arms lashing out in anger at an unseen assailant, to no avail. After several minutes of this, he stopped as suddenly as he started, but the twisted look on his face told any observer that his nightmare was far from over.  
  
Inside Knives' mind  
  
Knives found himself floating in a void of swirling hues. The way he floated weightlessly reminded him of the anti-gravity rooms in the SEEDS ship. He didn't like it at all.  
  
And then he saw him. Vash. Floating in a way similar to himself, with a confused and somewhat disbelieving stare. Knives just stared at his brother, who like Knives, was in his "birthday suit". The amazing number of scars Vash had amassed in the past 100 years burned Knives' eyes. The cruelty his brother endured at the hands of those filth made his blood boil. He didn't understand why Vash didn't see his reason for hating humans, they were such a sickening parasite, feeding off the lives of others. They made him ill.  
  
Finally, after several eternity's of silent stares, Vash looked Knives way. Upon sighting his long lost twin, Vash's face went from confusion to anger. "You're doing this aren't you Knives? Can't even let me have my sleep, you have to fuck with everything!" Vash yelled, his eyes glowing dangerously even in the brightness of the void.  
  
Knives retracted the arm he had lifted in greeting and frowned, somewhat hurt by his brother's accusations. It was true that he had went out of his way to make Vash's life hell, but this was as confusing to him as it was to Vash. "I am not do...." He started to retort, but he was cut short by a sudden burst of light between them.  
  
Shielding his eyes, he squinted to see what was causing the strange light. A woman's figure, a perfectly balanced and a beautiful arrangement of obvious feminine curves, was silhouetted against the light. Slowly the light died down, and He could see her face clearly. It was beautiful. Angelic even. She had bright blue eyes that reflected his in shade and hue, and Long blond pigtails that resembled Vash's. With the aura of light that reflected of her flawless skin, she truly resembled an angel.  
  
Knives couldn't help but let his eyes travel down the length of her perfect body. He traced every line of her voluptuous figure with such an interest it surprised even him. His glance finally leveled with her lower belly, the soft curve of it attracting his inquisitive eye. It wasn't right on her. Everything else was so perfectly balanced that this slightly bulging pocket of fat seemed so strange on such a body. But then it occurred to him. This wasn't fat from over eating as he was inclined to expect of greedy humans, but the bulge of a child in a womb. She was pregnant. This thought made him even more confused. What would this angel be doing pregnant. More so, what did she want with him and his brother. His thoughts were broken when he perceived a slight movement in the corner of his eye. She was lifting her arms gracefully and slow, as if she was moving through water that was too strong for her weak form.  
  
She slowly reached out her hands to both him and Vash, as a gesture of friendship he presumed. Vash automatically clasped hers, in that naïve and trusting way that infuriated Knives to no end. He wasn't about to be so easily conned, there was something about her that he couldn't place. She seemed so pure and warm, but years of pain and agony had taught Knives that he could never trust a woman's warmth. He forced himself to stay his distance. This action caused her to crinkle her delicate face into a sad imploring look that made it hard for him to resist. He felt himself giving in and reaching towards the soft curve of her open palm. But as their fingers touched, Knives felt a wave of power, healing, purifying power, wash over him.  
  
Yanking his hand back, Knives glared at her."No way Bitch, I don't know what your game is, but I am not buying it." In an instan, as if by mental command, his black colt appeared in his hand and he activated his angel arm easily. He pointed it at his brother and the woman, aiming at the small bulge in her delicate waist. "Fuck you!" He screamed, and before Vash or the girl could react, Knives let off a shattering blast.  
  
In the void of Time  
  
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Sailormoon let out a scream as her attempt to get a strong link on her brothers snapped with a agonizing pain in her stomach. The pain shot through her and into the senshi holding tight to her hands. The link between them broke as did their grips, and Usagi found herself floating away in the growing darkness.  
  
"USAGGGIIIIIIIIII" She heard Sailor Venus scream, followed by a chorus of cries from her other comrades. She tried to respond, but no words could escape from her mouth. She threw her arms towards her rapidly shrinking friends, grasping air in hopes of catching their hands. No such luck.  
  
Usagi screamed in frustration, but her cry was lost in the void. Slowly her body grew light, so light she could no longer tell that it was there. And then, everything went black.  
  
Somewhere in the middle of the Desert on Gunsmoke  
  
"Damn him! Leaving us there like that and not even telling us where he went! INCONSIDERATE BASTERD!!" Wolfwood bellowed into the wind whipping around him as he pressed his bike to go faster. They were practically flying over the sand as Wolfwood gave the engine all he had and all it could get to follow the fading trail left by his wandering friend.  
  
" Just up and left us there, not even bothering to find out if we needed him to stay or if we wanted to go. That man is so damn ignorant sometimes" He growled, looking left and right to find his red coated fool of a friend. Lights in the sky caught his attention momentarily, and he slowed slightly to stare.  
  
"What? Lightning season already? It's not even time yet!" He muttered staring at the gold, blue, pink, purple and deep crimson flashs in the heavens above. Wow. I have never seen lightning like that! I better find Vash before it really starts. That man is tall enough and has enough metal in him to be a walking lightning rod  
  
With that thought, he once again increased his speed, tearing his eyes from the rolling clouds illuminated by the "lightning" above to once again search for his wayward pal.  
  
BOOOOM!  
  
The sudden explosion threw Wolfwood into a wild spin. He managed to pull out just in time to see five blasts of light, each a different hue, shoot from the sky in five different directions. "What the fuck?" He growled, forgetting his previous mission instantly. He spun the bike viciously eastward in order to hunt out the cause of the gold streak that landed nearest to him.  
  
After driving several iles, he found it, the ile long tail of a crater. He followed it to the crater itself, which was nearly 10 feet deep. Sliding Angelica to a smooth stop beside the huge hole, Wolfwood got off and knelt beside it, staring with wonder down in it. His eyes widened in surprise to what he saw there.  
  
"Well... what do you know! When it rains in Gunsmoke..." He murmured staring at the naked and very feminine figure lying in a fetal position at the bottom of the crater. "... it rains Angels."  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
Next Chapter: Knives can wound, but Silence cuts deeper.  
  
What happens when Vash and crew find themselves caring for 3 young women in dire need of help? Or more so, when Knives finds a beautiful stranger with amnesia in his garden, a girl with a darker secrat then he? And what has happened to Usagi-Chan!?!?! See it all in the Next installment of "Gunsmoke in the Moonlight" 


	3. Between Heaven and Hell

Authors Note: I do apologize for the typo in the last chapter. This chapter will be titled "Between Heaven and Hell"; NEXT Chapter will be "Knives May Wound, But Silence Cuts Deeper." Also, it said that the Trigun cast would take care of 3 girls, it should be 2. Again, sorry for the typos, it shouldn't cause many problems though.  
  
Fiona X  
  
Gunsmoke in the Moonlight  
  
Chapter 3: Between Heaven and Hell.  
  
Ami opened her eyes painfully. They felt heavy and weak, as did her body, like she was swimming in an enormous vat of ice water. Even her brain felt heavy.  
  
"Where..Am...I?" She wondered groggily, waving her arms through the darkness around her. She was naked, and freezing, that's all she knew. Every time she tried to think, the pain in her ribs nearly doubled her over.  
  
After a few moments of treading water in silence, the pain subsided, and her mind became more agile and clear. That is when one thought hit her so hard that her mind jumpstarted.  
  
"Am I... Dead??" She whispered, her eyes growing wide at the thought. She had always believed that there was nothing after death, no afterlife, and no reincarnation. That is, before she became a senshi and all her knowledge of what was possible was thrown away. But now she wondered if she had been right, for this nothingness around her certainly felt like death.  
  
As these thoughts raced through her head, she failed to notice a bright light breaking through the darkness behind her. Out of that light, a figure approached her clad only in a silvery blue aura. Suddenly aware of a presence behind her, Ami whirled about and found herself face to face...with herself.  
  
"W..What?" Her mind screamed in confusion, and she lashed out in sudden animal fear.  
  
In a hospital on Gunsmoke  
  
" Doctor! The patient is reacting, I can't hold her down!" a frantic nurse cried from one of the few tiny rooms in the tiny hospital, desperately trying to hold their newest patient, a lovely blue haired Jane Doe, to the operating table.  
  
"Quick, give her a sedative, she could die if she breaks open her wounds again!" The doctor barked, pulling off his bloodied gloves he had been wearing during the procedure in exchange for a fresher pair. He rushed to the nurse's side and forces Ami's writhing body down to the table while the nurse hurriedly prepared a syringe with the thick clear liquid that would hopefully calm her down. "Hurry up God Damnit! This girls a wild cat, I can't hold her for long"  
  
The blue haired girl's body writhed on the table in apparent agony, her mouth opening in mute screams. She showed surprising strength for someone who had been nearly broken into thousands of pieces.  
  
"What is this nurse? What brought this on, I thought you said she was stabilizing?" The doctor questioned the nurse, his normally calm face turning a ghastly shade of red.  
  
"I..I dunno sir, she was fine for nearly 3 hours, and then suddenly she starts screaming" The nurse managed to stammer as she attempted to wrap Ami's thrashing arm in a plastic band.  
  
And then, as suddenly as it came, the attack ceased, leaving the girl limp and the doctor and nurse exhausted. The agitated doctor turned to his nurse, who was cowering in the corner. "Go..." he started, and paused, looking at the effect his words had on the already pale woman. Sighing he pointed towards the waiting room, "... and get the women who brought her in, they might be able to answer some questions."  
  
The nurse nodded mutely, but her faced relaxed into a look of relief as she jumped up and ran into the next room. The doctor turned to his troublesome patient. Staring down at her inert form, he shuddered "We haven't had this much trouble since Vash the Stampede rode through here.... How could such a little thing cause so much stir?" He wondered silently as he bent down and brushed the sweat soaked hair from her forehead in a fatherly way. Leaning close he whispered into her ear.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
Inside Ami's mind.  
  
The apparition cocked her head and laughed at Ami's question of who she was. The laugh sent shivers down Ami's spine, and almost made her start the flailing that she had just managed to cease. That laugh was hers.  
  
"I am you Ami..." Was all it said.  
  
"My ghost you mean..." Ami retorted, but her mind was screaming 'that face, that voice, that laugh, all mine, ALL MINE!'  
  
Again the ghost laughed, this time placing her hand on Ami's shoulder. Her touch was surprisingly calming, nothing like the coldness that Ami expected from a phantom. The image smiled softly at Ami and after an eternity of silence, spoke.  
  
"You know we do not believe in ghosts, it is illogical. There is nothing that supports such ludicrous theories, therefore I cannot possibly be your ghost."  
  
"B..But.." Ami started, but the not-ghost silenced her by placing a white finger upon her lips.  
  
"You are not dead, Ami dearest, only asleep." Said she.  
  
"Then I will awake at home, and all this pain is but a bad dream?" Ami asked, her face brightening at the idea. But the ghost's face saddened at her joy and she stroked Ami's face maternally. Suddenly Ami understood.  
  
"No..It's not that kind of dream at all is it? This all really happened. We really did lose our..." Ami started to talk herself through the confusion. Everything that seemed out of place clicked easily back in as the memories raced around in her head. She remembered entering the gate at the Halls of Time into a void that seemed eerier then normal (Which was hard to imagine, considering all the voids in the Halls of Time were eerie.) They were floating hand in hand as Usagi concentrated on the Silver Crystals power in order to create a link to her brothers. Ami couldn't recall the sensation that caused her to lose consciousness, but she remembered that it hurt terribly. Terrible enough to cause her to lose her grip on her leader. The thought hit her like a ton of bricks, and she blanched. "Our.. Princess?"  
  
In her ponderings, she had failed to see her ghost disappear in another flash of light, leaving her at once alone and desolate with her new horror. But then, her mind was too far into the throes of disbelief to care.  
  
'What have I done? I have lost her...'  
  
'Usagi'  
  
Back in the hospital.  
  
"Not AGAIN!" Moaned the doctor, rushing to room 2B, where yet again, the blue haired girl was screaming. The nurses scattered out of his way as he ran in to sedate her. He forcibly held her arm straight so the nurse could administer the sedative. The long needle barely pierced her skin when her whole body arched off the table, her flailing arms sending the doctor and the nurse flying across the room. Her convulsions rocketed her to a sitting position and her eyes flew open, revealing frightened blue orbs.  
  
"Hurry, get those girls who brought her in! Maybe they can help!" The doctor shouted, yet again sending the quivering nurse scrambling to the waiting room in the front.  
  
"It's going to be ok miss.." He tried to console the sobbing girl, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture as he inched towards her, preparing to wrestle her again. Ami regarded him with wide wild eyes and she quit convulsing, leaving her breathless and exhausted, as if all the fight had gone out of her. Her body shuddered involuntarily and she clutched the blankets to her as if she was freezing. After a few agonizing minutes of silence, she finally spoke, her delicate voice barely above a whisper. The Doctor strained to hear, but he could only catch a few of her inane mumblings.  
  
"Who... Who am I?"  
  
2 Hours Later  
  
Ami's eyes opened slowly, blinking against the light overhead. She could barely make out two figures looking down at her. After a second her eyes focused and she found herself looking up at two young women. The long haired one smiled broadly, her light blue eyes twinkling. "Gooooood aaaaafternoooon, goddess."  
  
The dark haired girl glared at her friend "Don't call her that...." but she was cut off when Ami sat up, reeling momentarily. The woman grabbed her arm to steady her.  
  
"G...Goddess?" Ami coughed, unable to make out what the woman meant. "W..What do you mean?"  
  
"Well..." The taller woman started, but the brunette put her hand on her arm to stop her.  
  
"What? What is it! TELL ME!" Ami cried, gripping the white cloth of the brunette's sleeve tightly. The woman's hard eyes softened at the terrified look in the girls eyes and sighed.  
  
'Go ahead Millie... tell her." She said, nodding at the other woman. The woman called Millie smiled happily, like a child who had been given a huge bar of candy. Turning to Ami, she started reliving the story in vivid metaphors.  
  
"Well... I was at work yesterday, digging another well for the town.... and...."  
  
Flashback  
  
Millie watched over her five workers with doglike perseverance. It was a hard job, being the Forman over 5 burly men who already resented her for being a woman. But the boss thought she could do the job, so he promoted her to the digging of another well in the Northern part of town. The current well was running low, and it was predicted to run out soon, if they didn't find another water source.  
  
The boss was skeptical of the water douser that claimed a small patch of bare dirt and sand was another well site, and was even more disbelieving when Millie and her teamed worked for 5 days digging and still hadn't found even a single damp spot.  
  
"OOOOOOKAY boys!" Millie cried, smiling happily and waving her men out of the growing hole. She had noticed the wind pick up, and the clouds that gathered ominously overhead, and thought it best that the men not be out in such threatening conditions. "It looks like another sand storm, so we better pick up and start again tomorrow!"  
  
The men crawled out and moaned. Moral was down, no matter how much Millie tried to lighten things up, buying them rounds of beer and letting have longer smoke breaks. They got little money, worked long days in the hot sun, and still hadn't struck water. Not to mention they resented being bossed around by a female who acted half her age. But they had to obey.  
  
One big black guy, named Carters, climbed out last, and most grudgingly, brushing Millie's offered hand with a flick of his wrist. He was the most vocal of the workers and never ceased to ridicule Millie behind her back. No sooner had he climbed out from the hole, did he saunter over to his coworkers and start grumbling,  
  
"Damn woman.... bossing us around like we are God damn children." He growled, eliciting several nods and grunts of agreement from his fellow men. " I bet we never find water.... fucking bad luck, women..."  
  
No sooner had he said it when the sky exploded with a fury, sending brilliant burst of light in all directions. The people standing around in the square, enthralled by the flashing lights, screamed and threw themselves to the ground. One burst of light, blue in hue, buried itself in the middle of the north square. The citizens cried and waved their arms aimlessly through the dust that ensued the crash, unable to see their own hands in the chaos.  
  
But their cried turned to laughs as the dust was tampered down, by something they had never felt before. Rain. It was a true storm, one they had heard of in legends. Where water fell from the sky in heavy drops and children tramped around in the ankle deep puddles. Their dwindling hopes soared at the thought of green grass and shading tress nurtured by this phenomenon from a god they had thought died.  
  
But like all good things on Gunsmoke, this too soon stopped. And the villagers saw another phenomenon, the well was shooting the water high into the now cloudless sky. In the midst of the spouting water, the figure of a woman floated. Slowly the wondrous downpour ceased, and only the girl remained as the puddles were greedily drunk in by the dry earth and the mist dissipated by the harsh wind. She was truly a sight. Her skin was icy pale, not wind or sunburned. Her hair was the oddest shade of blue, unnatural as many of the villagers gossiped. It was decided she was an Goddess, sent to Gunsmoke to deliver her chosen people by bringing water, that now filled the well nearly to the brim.  
  
The people gathered around, Even Carters, although he was obviously pissed that he was proven wrong on many counts. Finally, after a while of flabbergasted staring and unspoken whispers, a man stepped forth and extended his arm, prodding her gently in the arm.  
  
No sooner had the man touched her then did a ripping sound send the gatherers several steps back. They screamed in horror as her body shredded into countless lacerations, some so deep they could see the stark whiteness of her bones against the spewing crimson. Several women, as well as the unfortunate man who touched her, fainted soundly, nearly trampled by the onslaught of frightened onlookers trying to tear themselves away.  
  
End of Flashback  
  
"It's amazing you're alive!" Millie exclaimed, her blue eyes tearing up at the memory. "We rushed you here as soon as possible, and the Doc managed to fix you up...."  
  
"The whole town is talking about you two.." Meryl stated matter-of-factly, "in fact there hasn't been this much buzz since Vash showed up last ye...."  
  
"We two?" Ami interrupted, raising her eyebrows at Meryl's words.  
  
"Oh yes.... right after you were fixed up, another girl was brought in, with wounds just like yours. A blond girl.... she's right behind this curtain..." Millie said pointing to the curtained bed next to Ami.  
  
Ami feebly raised her head and followed Millie's outstretched arm. She could see the faint outline of a woman lying in a bed. Her breath was barely visible, accentuated only by the slight rise and fall of the silhouetted chest. Ami suddenly had a vision of a golden haired woman who looked at her pleadingly, as if in need.  
  
Usagi....  
  
"Who or what is a Usagi?" A male voice startled Ami out of her vision, and she whirled around to see who had spoken to her.  
  
Did he read my mind? She thought wildly, her head spinning momentarily from the sudden movement. Her eyes focused on her inquisitor and she saw a tall dark man in the corner, wearing a white smock that barely reached his knees, she assumed it was a hospital gown. Next to him was a bag of clothing that seemed, by all appearances, to either have a confusing color scheme or were splattered in blood. He lifted an unlit cigarette to his lips, and began to light it, but stopped when Millie sent him a look.  
  
"I'll repeat, Who or What is a Usagi? You and that other chick have been yelling that name off and on for the past hour." He said, his voice rising slightly in annoyance.  
  
"I...I don't know, who... I think it's a who, who Usagi is. " Ami said quietly, remembering the sad face in her vision, "But feel as if she is in need...."  
  
In the Middle of Nowhere  
  
The cave, hidden for centuries from the vicious winds and burning heat of the desert, was very wet. The animals that lived there, if you could call the furless, eyeless slug-like beings that crept along the cave walls animals, liked it there. So the sudden intrusion of a being like they never seen (well, never heard really, they were utterly blind) left them quite a bit out of sorts. Its appearance was followed by burning light that shriveled their bodies and dried up their life giving puddles. Their primitive minds equated it with death, and they avoided it as such, leaving it to rest in the circle of light created by its descent.  
  
It lay there, unmoving, not even a breath escaped its body. It seemed dead to them, its body so still, with its long tentacle like appendages intruding en mass from its head floating like a pale halo in the pool it landed in. They sniffed it, wondering if it was good to eat. But a soft burst of air from its lips sent the beings scrambling in terror, it was still very much alive. Although no one knew how long. The only measure of life, excluding the rare and unpredictable breaths, was the soft silver aura that surrounded it, illuminating the cave as that burning ball of flame laid to rest outside. It grew paler every few hours, and the beings waited.  
  
Soon they thought amongst themselves, it would disappear, and they would feast.  
  
Back at the hospital, 5 hours later  
  
Ami sat up in her hospital bed, wide awake although everyone, including the night nurse, had left an hour earlier. She couldn't asleep, not with that nagging vision of that mysterious girl haunting her every dream. She couldn't shake the dreary feeling that she was in trouble, and expecting Ami to save her.  
  
"Alright girl," Ami spoke out of no where, breaking the monotonous silence so suddenly that she jumped at the sound of her own voice. But the comfort of a human voice calmed her, despite the fact it was her own, and she said it again, louder and stronger this time. "Alright girl, let's try to figure this out, who am I? Where am I? And what the hell have I done up to this point?"  
  
She pondered silently for a moment, trying to answer her own questions.  
  
My Name is Ami.... I think. At least it feels like it should be. I don't know why though. Nor do I know my last name.... or how old I am.... or where I come from. I am on Gunsmoke, but I don't know where or what it is. I feel like I am a stranger here, like I have never been here before... but I don't know where I was before. In fact, other then my name...... I have no idea who I am!  
  
This last rambling thought made Ami's head spin, so she allowed her weak body to fall back into the soft pillows. Her body screamed for her to sleep, but that damn vision kept popping up every time her lids drooped. She couldn't sleep, not until she knew what it was all about.  
  
Then she recalled something that woman Millie said:  
  
' Right after you were fixed up, another girl was brought in, with wounds just like yours. A blond girl.... she's right behind this curtain...'  
  
"Maybe, just maybe, she is the answer" Ami muttered to herself, slowly swinging her legs over the aluminum rails of the bed. She whimpered in agony as the torn balls of her feet hit the cold floor. She dropped back down on the bed and laid there for a moment, recovering from the sudden pain.  
  
I can't stop now, she said to herself, I must know who she is...  
  
Forcing herself to a standing position once more, Ami winced against the sharp pain running up her legs, and managed to take a few steps. She fell as soon as she let go of the railings, and grabbed the only thing in her reach, the curtain separating her and her goal. The curtain slid easily along its track, dragging Ami reluctantly with it. It propelled its unfortunate traveler into the bed on the other side.  
  
Ami found herself staring into the face of a woman with golden blond hair. Her hair, which looked as though it was once full and soft, hung limply around the girl's face, evidence of a tattered red bow still clinging to a chunk in back.  
  
I..don't think she is the one... even though she has blond hair, Ami thought silently as she inspected the girl in front of her.  
  
Her theory was proven shortly, when the girls eyes opened suddenly, revealing a deep cornflower blue that was more peevish then sad. She cocked her blond brows sarcastically and looked up at Ami. After a moment of quiet contemplation on both their parts, the blond spoke.  
  
"Umm.... I'm Minako..... Who the hell are you?"  
  
End Chapter 3  
  
Sorry about the confusion with this chapter. Next chapter will have Knives and Hotaru in it.  
  
Chapter 4: Knives may wound, but Silence cuts deeper  
  
What will Ami and Minako do when the only link to their past disappears through a mysterious doorway out of nowhere? And what about those other streaks of light? Also, Knives goes to find out who did some involuntary plowing of his garden, and finds a dark stranger instead. But just how deep does that darkness go? Find out in the next installment of Gunsmoke in the Moonlight 


	4. Knives May Wound, But Silence Cuts Deepe...

Gunsmoke in the Moonlight

Chapter 4: Knives May Wound, But Silence Cuts Deeper

Wolfwood stared silently out of the western most window of the house that he shared with the other girls, his stern face surrounded by the smoke that drifted aimlessly from his lips. He sat there everyday ay, for countless hours, waiting. He knew Vash would be back, but he didn't know when. It was almost 2 months since the two girls were found, and since Vash fell of the face of the Earth. Normally it was easy to find the giant thin man wearing a red coat and broom like hair; all you did was follow the destroyed towns that were in his wake. That's how Wolfwood found him before. But not this time it appeared.

The clock on the wall across from him chimed once, twice, three times. He sat and counted until he came to six and it stopped. He put his cigarette out on the windowsill.

"Bastard"

He walked slowly into the crowded kitchen where Millie sat drinking a chipped mug of Oolong tea. He studied her in the light and smiled. Her face was softly silhouetted by the setting suns filtering through the checkered kitchen curtains. She looked so contemplative and beautiful. She started as he stepped towards her to get a better look. Smiling she motioned him to sit down, and he complied, falling into the chair like his whole being was weighed down with all the burdens of the world.

"You miss him don't you?" She asked out of nowhere, as she offered him a cup of Oolong tea. Wolfwood jumped slightly at her words, and looked up at her. She smiled and motioned the cup towards him. He took it from her hands and breathed in the hefty scent. He really didn't like Oolong tea, but he agreed to give up drinking for Millie and since that was all she drank, so did he.

"Yeah.... Surprisingly so. I never thought I'd miss that dork." He muttered and then took a mouthful of the steaming liquid. It burned as it went down, but he ignored the pain, and stared out the window to the west again, searching for the missing legend. 'Damn fool.... needle noggin' he muttered silently, his words morose and angry at the same time.

"The girls seem to be adjusting well." He said, attempting to change the subject.

"Oh yes!" Millie cried happily, just as relieved as he to start another conversation "Ami and Minako are doing great. The doctor says Ami is the best apprentice he has ever seen, and Minako gets the biggest tips down at the Saloon. Ami also seems to know quite a bit about machines, I wonder...."

She stopped and Wolfwood glanced up at her. She looked serious, as if she had a sudden epiphany. Since such looks were rare on Millie, he had to know what was going through her head.

"What? What do you wonder???" He asked, slamming his mug a little harder then intended and causing her to jump.

"W..Well... you know that ship, the one that still was flying?" Millie asked, bringing the memories of his and Vash's battle together with 3 gung-ho guns to mind.

"Yeah... and?"

"Well... Ami knows so much about machinery, and she DID fall from the sky, as did Mina.... so I was thinking that maybe they came from a ship like that... floatingabovethecity." She finished the last part in one quick breath, as if she was afraid he'd laugh at another one of her "crackpot" theories. When the laughing didn't follow, she opened her eyes slowly and looked over at him attentively. He was still staring out the window, the cup raised to his lips, frozen in place.

"You... May be right." he said slowly, weighing his words carefully, as if they were distasteful to him.

He recalled the people on that ship, the damned fools who hid from the world in their own little piece of heaven. They made him sick, preaching at him, treating him like an evil man for trying to survive. He found it hard to believe that Ami and Minako, whose smiles were empty and eyes far more heavy with pain then even Vash, were from such a foolish society. But what other logic could explain their entrance to this world, other then that.

Suddenly, the front door slammed open with such force, it surprised him that it didn't fly off. Meryl came storming through, her eyes flashing and her fists clenched to her sides.

"Uhhh... what's happen..." Wolfwood started, Meryl cut him off by slamming her hand on the table so hard it shook his tea over the edge of his mug, staining the table.

"Vash is back." She yelled. Just as his name was called, in stumbled a sick and sheepish looking Vash. He was moving his mouth in a futile attempt to make words. Trying to find a way to explain everything, but utterly failing. Wolfwood blinked, he figured she would be crying happy tears and clinging to the humanoid typhoons arm like a lap dog. Needless to say her reaction was quite the opposite.

"Oh my! But that's great Ms. Meryl, why are you so angry?" Millie said, scrubbing at the tea that spilled on the table.

"I'll tell you why, because he...he... he came into town..." Meryl started, her face turning such a violent red it was threatening to erupt. Her rant was cut off prematurely by a voice in the doorway, a cool and calm, yet very feminine voice.

"With me."

Somewhere in a Valley, earlier that morning

Millions Knives greeted the morning suns with outstretched arms, breathing in the sweet scent of life. He hated this planet, the heat, the wind, the goddamn desert sand that got in his wine. But he had to admit that the green little strip of land hidden between frightening mountains was pleasing to him. After all, he was its father, its creator, its God. He fertilized that ground with his sweat, watered it with his tears and fed it with his blood. It was his child.

And like a father, he could sense when something was wrong. Like now for instance. The air seemed too heavy and the scent was too... human.

Spider.... a filthy fucking spider here? He mentally questioned the validity of his own senses, looking around for the being that filled his whole body with such seething hatred. From where he was standing, at the entrance way to a half-buried ship, all seemed well. But he knew better. Gripping the handle of his trusty black colt, he went through the garden, his trigger finger twitching.

The garden seemed fine, at least until he went through a small grove of orange trees. His eyes widened in horror at the sight of his beautiful child. A huge rift nearly an ile long marred her lovely countenance. He stepped over fallen branches and broken bushes that littered the wake of the rift. He followed it, nearly to the other side of his garden, to the crater itself. It ended against the biggest tree, the one that he had planted right after he and Vash separated 125 years ago. It was now crooked, its massive roots yanked from their abode by the force of the landing.

The sight was almost too much for Knives. He had planted that tree in hopes of having picnics under it with his dear brother, not to be uprooted by humans, whose stench he could smell wafting up from the craters depths.

He raised his gun, letting up in the safety and aimed into the darkness. He was prepared to fill whatever bastard did this with enough holes to certify them as a giant colander. But then he paused. He could hear a soft mewing sound from the depths. Not a cat, but a woman's voice, crying softly. The voice wasn't sobbing, but talking wordlessly. It was obvious whoever she was, she was in pain.

Serves her right, feeding off this planet.... fucking parasites, thinking they can just walk in and steal what's not theirs. He smiled at the thought of all humans crying out the same way and laughed silently at her pain. Crawling down the steep sides of the crater, he grabbed the heavy human body roughly, and dragged it up from the hole.

He dropped her on the ground, preparing to drag her into the desert and leave her there to die. But an odd sensation washed over him, traveling down his spine. He paused and looked down at her.

She was in bad shape. Dried blood coated half healed cuts like a second skin and her slim body was twisted unnaturally. Below the dirt and blood, he made out a soft feminine body with well proportioned curves. Her face was untouched, with lovely white skin that was ethereal on this planet of burning skies. She had large eyes with thick lashes that rested on her high cheekbones like she was sleeping, but her delicately arched eye brows were knitted in obvious pain.

He found himself giving into the urge to brush the wispy black locks of hair away from her face where they rested. As he did so, his touch upon her soft skin sent a shock up his arm. He now knew what that sensation was that caused him to stop. That sensation of warmth and healing. Of pure power. He was surprised he hadn't sensed it earlier, even through the human stench of blood and sweat.

He gave into his whims and gathered her into his arms. Her soft raven black hair tickled his nose as he leaned his face close to hers, until their cheeks were touching and his lips were pressed against her ear. He held her tightly and whispered something, something he hoped would bring warmth back to her cold form.

"Your safe now.... sister."

Back in town

"This is BULLSHIT! I don't believe a single word of it." Meryl said resolutely, crossing her arms and looking away in a huff. This green haired hussy can't be telling the truth, she mentally convinced herself. But the tall woman sitting across the kitchen table didn't falter her explanation. She fixed her blood red eyes on Meryl's grey ones and smiled coldly as she steepled her slender fingers under he chin.

"Whether you believe me or not, it is true. 4 comrades and I were transported here by way of a dimensional portal. We lost contact with our target and were separated too soon, hence our fall from the sky. I happened to collide with Vash-san here and was amazed he didn't die. I spent the last two months fixing him up. And now that he is better, I need to finish my mission" She said matter-of-factly, examining her nails for dirt nonchalantly, as if what she was telling them was something they heard every day.

"Let me get this right. You are warriors from another dimension on another planet, who came here to do.... what exactly" Wolfwood asked, restraining a snicker as he cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

Setsuna, or so she said her name was, frowned deeply and stood up, making out as if she was about to leave. Whirling around she glared at the 4 grinning people that regarded her with looks like she was crazy. Clearing her throat she hissed at him, " Our mission is none of your concern. It is a peaceful one. However, if I don't locate Usagi, all will be lost, although I can see you will be no help at..."

Wolfwood jumped up and grabbed her, spinning her around to face him and glared at her, "What did you say? Who is Usagi???"

She blinked in surprise at his outburst, unsure of why he was so concerned. " She is my princess if you must know. You speak as though you know her. Have you seen her??" it was Setsuna's turn to grab him, her slender hands gripping his shoulders almost painfully as she searched his eyes for the answer, "A young girl. Blond. Pregnant..."

Wolfwood suddenly felt sorry for her, the pain and fear in her eyes reflected how he had felt many a times. Absolute despair. Sighing he shook her hands from his shoulders. "No. We found a blue haired girl and a blond, but she wasn't pregnant."

"Blond... oh Minako. And Ami. Yes.... they came along" Setsuna muttered half to him and half to herself, "But that means that Both Usagi and Hotaru are missing! SHIT" She suddenly swore as she fell to her knees, repeatedly punching the ground with her fist. This sudden change in her demeanor made everyone in the room jump back a little. After a few moments of moaning, she looked back up at Wolfwood.

" Look. I can't stay. I must go and get the others. All I ask is..." She stood up as she said this, grabbing a piece of scrap paper and a pen from a nearby desk and scribbled something on the paper, ".. That you give this to Ami and Minako immediately. Make sure they are safe...."

Wolfwood glanced at the paper and back up at her back as she was walking out the door. "Hey wait!" He yelled running after her, but as soon as her foot touched the dusty front step, she disappeared in a cloud of dust. He stood there dumbfounded, Meryl, Millie and Vash crowding behind him to see what was going on.

"But...But.." He muttered, holding the paper up to where she once stood, "they don't know who they are...."

Back in Knives Ship

Hotaru's eyes opened slowly, blinking against the bright blue light that seemed to fill all the space around her. She felt so warm and comfortable, as if she was back in her mothers' womb (Although she couldn't literally recall how that felt). She snuggled deeper into the female chest that was cuddling her, momentarily convinced it was her lost mother.

But then the truth dawned on her, and she opened her eyes wide, this time allowing them to adjust to the light, so she could actually see. She was pressed between two... people. At least she thought the one with the female chest was a human. That is, until she studied her and found her to have huge angel wings spreading wide from her slender shoulder blades. Most defiantly not human, she thought to herself. Then she became acutely aware of the one holding her from behind. It defiantly wasn't female, that she could tell without looking.

Hotaru rotated herself in the tight embrace with some difficulty and looked up at the face of the person holding her. It was most defiantly not a woman. Whoever it was had a handsome face with a straight nose, wide lips and a narrow but strong chin that lead to a thick neck. Her eyes traveled farther, taking in the broad shoulders, muscular chest and taut abs to his....

Oh my god. He's naked. Hotaru blushed deeply at her silent realization, never had been in such a situation. Then she looked at her own body, which she discovered to her horror, was now pressing against his.

"YAAAAAAAAH" She screamed, pushing herself free from his embrace. She had propelled herself so roughly from him that she now felt the cold glass sides of its wall pressing against her naked skin.

The man, startled out of his rest from her scream, noticed her and swam towards her, his arms outstretched. Hotaru scrunched herself up in a ball and attempted to push him away as he attempted to pull her to him.

"Get Awaayyyyy!" She yelled, pushing him hard, and surprisingly, pushing her through the glass. She hit the cold floor with a reverberating thud and sat there for a moment trying to figure out what had just taken place.

Realizing her rather harrowing predicament, she jumped up and promptly fell when her weak legs become jelly under her. Stumbling and half crawling, she looked around for a door. The walls seemed sheer, devoid of any form of door, at least as far as her night vision could see.

"Where's a damn door?" She moaned, trying to stand once more, this time with marginally more success.

"And where would you go?" A voice called from behind her. She whirled about and saw him, the blond man, walking towards her in a deliberate way that made her nervous. Crying out silently, she jumped up and tried to run in the other direction. But in a mere second, he was upon her, gripping her arms and whirling her around to face him. He smirked, " There's nothing but sand and death out there. You're much safer here with me."

She doubted that very much, yet, as she found herself staring into a pair of gorgeous blue eyes that reminded her of Usagi's, she felt the doubt drift away. Those eyes held her in such a trance that she wasn't aware that he was moving her until the cold wall of the surrounding room made contact with her flesh. But he didn't stop there, instead he pressed himself against her so firmly she thought that she would be squished between his barrel chest and the cold steel. His left arm was pressed against the wall, next to her head, as his right hand encircled the back of her neck. He used his thumb to tilt her face upwards towards him.

Still enthralled by him, Hotaru unconsciously opened her lips enough to accept his kiss, which was surprisingly gentle and warm. It lasted about a minute until he pulled away so that their lips barely brushed against each other. And they stood there for a moment, their quick hot breathes intermingling.

Suddenly, he pressed his lips to hers in a totally different way, this time passionate and lusting. The move was so sudden that she gasped, and he deepened the kiss by slipping his tongue through the new opening. He felt her whole body go weak, including her jaw. This gave his tongue full reign in her mouth, which he took advantage of and proceeded to taste her fully.

Hotaru had no idea what was happening to her body. She had died and been reborn so many times that she had never experienced such an onslaught of hormones flowing through her at once. It didn't help that she went from 13 to 18 in a matter of only 2 years. It didn't leave much room for experimenting.

But here she was, being passionately kissed by a man she never saw before, and liking it. In fact, she found herself moaning in pleasure as he trailed his kisses from her lips down her neck and back to her lips yet again. Forget liking it, she was loving it.

Hotaru felt her worry over her missing princess and her reservations of romancing a strange man slip away, and her consciousness was filled with heated longing. She felt herself giving into him.

As he deepened the already deep kiss, Hotaru let her mind and body wander. It was a trick she learned back home, to let your spirit separate from your physical form and search inside another. She felt her spirit pull itself from her body, it's back arching as it struggled. Its hands and feet stretched grossly out of shape, almost to breaking point, as it yanked itself free. Then with a sickening snap, it pulled itself back into its normal shape and floated outside of her body.

Once free, it pressed into his body and like a wisp of smoke, assimilated itself with him. Once inside, Hotaru allowed it to take form. She became an adult Hotaru, much like Mistress Nine. Her long raven hair reached the floor and beyond, slinking into the shadows. The only thing covering her ghostly figure, was a long black ribbon of cloth that weaved itself in and out of her limbs. As her consciousness joined her spirit, Hotaru stepped into the light, searching the pillared halls for his spirit.

She could hear something around a sharp corner and floated towards it. But as she drew near, she was aware of a terror that filled her whole being. Shivering, she withdrew into the shadows, the ribbon expanding and surrounding her so only her eyes showed through. Now part of the shadows, she could creep unnoticed into the dome shaped room housing his spirit.

What she saw there would torture her for the rest of her life. Just the first glance sent her tumbling back into the wall, where she stood for several minutes simply staring in horror. Instead of the customary single spirit, three stood before her. The first one was the one that filled her with such fear. It resembled him in face and had a humanoid figure, but it was twisted out of proportion in such a ghastly way she felt sick looking upon it. On top of normal human legs was a huge torso with bulging veins and muscles. Its massive neck joined with a head too small for the body. It had his face, but his good looks were twisted by a hateful expression with reddened eyes and a grimace that revealed rows of shark-like teeth. Growing from its head of wild blond hair were two massive ram horns, their ivory sheen slathered in still dripping blood. He was such a horror to look upon that it was no wonder the second figure cowered on the floor in front of him.

The second figure was clothed in blue wool and appeared to be a child of no more the 10. He had long pale blond hair and large blue eyes that were widened to the point Hotaru could see the whites of his eye all around. His face was tear streaked and ghostly white, accented only by the huge bruises that covered his face and arms. She could feel his tangible fear. But also she could sense other feelings. Loneliness, grief, pain and worst of all, despair. Like the monster, which radiated anger, hatred and bloodlust, the boy had not a single pleasant emotion left. She sensed that once there was love in his heart, a bonding between him and another, but his loneliness made it clear that who ever it was wasn't coming back.

Yet despite the scene before her, grotesque and frightening as it was, she was more enamored with the third spirit. It was a woman, she was standing between the monster and the child, facing the beast with her arms held out like a human shield. The look on her face was one of maternal protectiveness and seething anger, yet she was smiling. Hotaru felt her whole body heave and the room pitched suddenly, tossing her like a doll from her shadowy hiding place.

Her spirit disengaged itself from his, throwing itself back into Hotaru's body. Upon reentering, Hotaru jerked violently, bringing their passionate embrace to a sudden end. She grabbed her head in pain as her body began to spasm uncontrollably. Falling to her knees she let out a strangled scream, and fell into a puddle of blood as her wounds tore open instantaneously.

He rushed to her, gathering her into his arms and trying to quench the onslaught of blood. She stared up into his eyes. Those tender yet cold blue eyes that she thought reminded her of someone. Now she knew why. She knew because that someone was in him. And as the room swirled and faded she let a single whispered word slip from her lips.

Usagi.

End of Chapter 4.

Next time on Gunsmoke in the Moonlight

Chapter 5: As the Players Take their Places

Knives does some soul searching of his own, and finds something deep inside Hotaru that he doesn't know whether to destroy, or fall in love with. Ami and Minako face a tough time trying to figure out the cryptic message the strange woman Setsuna left them. And who is that strange woman in Vash's dreams?

Stay tuned for the nest Chapter!

Fiona X.


	5. Authors Note

Konnichi Wa Minna,

All right, I know what you are thinking, "God, I thought this was a new chapter".... Nope, sorry. I am a college student with a job and a boyfriend, and sadly haven't had very much time to write like I did. I want to finish this story, I love the plotline, but I am stuck. I don't think it is fair that I string any of my faithful readers along. Please forgive me if you really wanted me to finish, time doesn't allow it. In one week, I am going to take this story off and may keep it off indefinitely, who knows. If all works out well, I will repost it and finish it once I get some more done on my main story. Please look for updates and I hope this isn't too much of an inconvenience.

I love you all, and hope to finish this soon

Fiona X

PS. This is a generic sorry letter that I am using for both the stories I am putting on Hiatus, so please don't report me for like, repeating a chapter or something, that's just stupid and rude.


End file.
